Game



sept. 22, 1925. imm

J. P. BBCDDCKl GAME original Filed Nw. i,4 192i' 5 i @i g @wie 52% 5%@ i @i iilggig 2% g a@ i ,om g @i INVENTOR Josph Par/fobcock.

ur an) Patented Sept. ZZ, i925.

l instan rice,

JOSEPH PARK BABCOCK, OF TSINAN, CHINA, ASSIGNO'B, TO MAH-JONGG COMPANY 0F CHINA, OF SHANGHAI, CHINA, A COPOJEt-ITION OF ALASKA.

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To @ZZ whom t may conc/cra.' v

Be it known that I, Josemi Pani; BAB- ooon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tsinan, China, whose post-oiiice address is Friendship, New York, have invented an Improvement in Games, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a game and this application is a continuation of my cO-pending application Serial No. 599,107 filed November 4, 1922.

In the drawing I have illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 a set of game pieces or tiles with which the game may be played.

These tiles, which may be of any desired shape to facilitate handling, have on their faces certain representations and are divided or classified into suits or groups.

Three of the suits are known as characters, bamboo, and dots or circles respectively.

On the face of the `tiles of the characters7 suit 2 are depicted Chinese characters 3, the characters on each tile representing` Chinese numerals. There are four series of these tiles, there being nine tiles in each series, making thirty-six tiles in the suit. On each tile of this characters suit appears an index symbol 4 of a nature understood by English speaking races, such, foi instance, as Arabic or Roman numerals, the numerals, when such arc used, running from l to 9 on each series.

The second referred to, or bamboo suit 6 likewise contains thirty-six tiles which are, like the tiles of the characters suit, in four series and, when numerals are used as index symbols, are numbered from 1 to 9 in each series. y

On each of the tiles of this suit, except the tiles marked l, appears the represen-` tation which may be that of one or more joints or nodes. The number of joints or nodes on each tile may correspond in number to the index symbol on the particular tile. The tiles of this suit indexed l have a design or representation thereon differing from that of the other tiles. This may be the representation of a bird.

The third or dots suit 7 referred` to heretofore includes, like the chaiaciiers7 and bamboo suits, thirty-six tiles on which are representations distinct from those of the other suits and preferably dots or This application led December circle. These dots tiles likewise contain index symbols such as numerals from l to 9 in four series, there being an index on each tile as in the case of the other two suits. The index on each of these tiles cor'- coresponds, preferably, to the number of dots or circles on the particular tile.

Thus we have four l of characters, four 2 of characters, etc., four l of bamboo, four 2 of bamboo, etc., 4 l of dots, four 2 of dots, etc., and so on, up to nine of each suit.

`While it is not necessary, -it is preferable, from an artistic 'standpoint at least,

to have the designs and numerals engraved and colored on the faces of the tiles.

In addition to these three suits of thirtysix tiles each, there are four other groups S of tiles known as the winds, each group containing four tiles having, preferably, the same design thereon in the same color. The designs of the several groups may did'er, however, each from the other. Each of these groups is designated as one of the winds, that is to say, east, south, north and west, by a proper index symbol which, preferably, is one denoting the first letter of the name of the particular wind tile.

There are also three additional groups of tiles known as the dragons, one group 9 being known as white dragon, another 10 as red dragon and a third 11 as green dragon. There are four tiles in each of these groups. The faces of the white dragon7 tiles are plain, that is to say, they contain no graphic representations. The red dragon tiles each` contain a representation such as a Chinese character, preferably, Of red color, the characters on all of these tiles preferably being similar, either as to color or design or both. The tiles of the green dragon each contain a representation such as a Chinese character distinguishable from the character on the red dragon tiles and, preferably, in green color. Each of these characters is similar to the others of this group either in color or design, or both.

Thus there are four of each dragon group, `but unlike the previously described tiles, they contain no index symbols.

In addition to the tiles already described there are two groups 12 and 13 or sets of yspecial tiles which ,haar a particular relapreferably seasons by which termthey will hereinafter be referred to. Each of these two groups contains four tiles.

Each tile of each group may have a'different design thereon. When these special tilescarry a design, the design is purely r fanciful, and, for instance, 'mayrepresent y' tinguishable `Veither by virtue. of their arrangement, de

' may be do-neby coloring the symbols on one.` set one color, red, for instance, and the symcharacters.

four different styles ofChinese larchitecture on 'one group of tiles and four different modes of transportation on the other set of tiles. The tilesv may also contain Chinese `Whether or not these tiles contain designs, the tiles of one group are disfrom' the tiles of the other groupby certain characteristicsl which will be hereinafter described. i The tiles of each of the seasons groups contain designations or index symbols. .The

`symbols' on.y one 'set of tiles are distinguishableV from "those on the other set oftiles,

sign or color, etc. These symbols=may take q-theform of' letters or Arabic or Roman numerals.

I have 'found it convenient to distinguishthe tiles of one' seasons7 group from the tiles of the other by color. This bols on the other set, another color, green for "inst-ance, andby coloring the Chinese characters when the tiles contain only the lsame colorfas the symbols. 1 Of course,it is understood-thateven this may be varied by `havingv either the characteristics or symbols carry the' distinguishing color orby having g Vthe color otherwise 'carried by the tiles. These ldesignations or index symbols do not correspond or relate in any way to the design "on the-tiles, nor dothey haveany relation` whatever tothe fanciful Chinese characters on the tiles except insofar as they are `physically associated with these characters.

Thel index symbols or designations do,

"however, bear' a distinct vrelation to the` VAorder ofplay Aand toA particular playing positions or players* as will hereinafter appear inasmuch as they are assigned to the playing positions.

I will now describe asimple form of play of-this game so that the function ofthe various tiles and the relation' of Kthesea'sons tiles to the playing positions will beunderstood. The players, who are .preferably 4Hfour in'nuinber, but may beless, being assembled around a table vand ya position, that is, east, south, west or north, having beenI assigned t'o each player, the ytiles are shuffled onmixed, face down, upon= the table.

The assignment of a particular pla-ying posi- .tion to :a player or to each player may be denoted by the possession'of a physical representation of that position. For instance, positions -may be denoted by `positiondisc-s having an indexfoftheposition thereon.

Each player then draws thirty-six tiles and places them in two superimposed rows of eighteen: each, face down, before him. The rows before the players larel then arranged to form a hollow square or wall.

The player to whom the east position has been assigned then throws a pair of dice and adding the total number of spots on the upper faces'of the,v dice determines which side of the wall is to be broken. Thus, if the total number of spots is live, the player having east position. assigned to him counts in a countenclockwiseV direction beginning with the side of the wall before him. vThe count of live ends at this same lside of the wall. A second throw of the dice is then made and the total number of spots added to those previously exposed. Presuming the second throw to be three andv adding this to the five already thrown, the wall isbrolren at a point eighttilesfrom the right of the side in front of the'east position, counting in a clockwise direction. At this point the two tiles constituting a vertical .pair are `extracted from the side of the wall.` These two tiles are then placed upon lthe 'tiles at the .right side of the gap becoming what is known as loosetiles7 l Theplayer to whom -the east position has been assigned then drawsfour tiles from the Vvother side of the gap, that is,-two vertical pairs. he south, which is to the right ofthe east, the west and north position players then, inl turn, each draws four tiles yand this drawing continues vuntil each of the players has before him twelve unexposed tiles.` Each player then draws an additional tile which he adds to the twelve previously drawn and unexposed tiles andthe player to whomlthe east position has been assigned drawsuanother tilemaking in eaclrhand,'with the exception ofwtheeeast hand, thirteen tiles, and in' the latter, fourteen.

One of the season`tiles of each group is appropriated to one of the playing positions. For instance, the east p'os'itionand .the ,playerv designated thereby have appropriated to them the two season tiles, which, when numerals are used as .index symbols, are .marked No l, the South No 2, the 'west No 8 and the, north No Li,therebeing two' of each.` number.

If any of the ,hands so 'drawn contain a season or'fflower it is placed face up =upon the table outside of the vwall and for reach tile so-drawn .and placed/the player carding a tile, face up, upon the table. The player to whom the south has been assigned, then either takes this discarded tile from the table (under certain conditions) or draws a tile from the end of the wall remote from that carrying the loose tiles. This procedure (i. e., a series of draws and discards) continues in a counter-clockwise direction until one of the players completes a hand, that is to say, has either four groups of three of a kind of the same suit, or four groups of three of a sequence of the same suit, or any combination of these, and in addition, has a pair of the same suit, at which time he is said to have completed his hand.

There is a variation in the method of drawing, however, and that is, that when a player draws a season from the wall he immediately lays the season, face up, upon the table and draws a loose tile from the end of the wall, drawing always the tile more remote from the gap, or opening.

There are, of course, other variations in the mode of play which are, however, in the nature of refinements, and which need not, for the purpose of this specification, herein be described.

@ne of the hands having been completed, the hands are then exposed by the players for the purpose of counting` the score in which counting the seasons perform a particular function and in which, as hereinbefore mentioned, they bear a distinct relation to the playing positions.

The positions shift after the completion of each hand preferably in a counter-clockwise direction so that the south becomes east, the west becomes south, the north becomes west and the east becomes north.

The various combinations of tiles herein before referred to and other combinations which are in the nature of refinements of the simple form of game described each have certain score values assigned to them, and the special tiles or, in other words, the seasons tiles each bear a specific scoring relation to the groups when these tiles are in the hands of the players to whom, because of their positions, they have been assigned and a different scoring value when they are in the hands of other players, either singly or in groups.

For instance, supposing the score of the player winning the game or in other words completing his hand, because of the tile combinations in his hand, to be a given number, this player adds to this number, an additional number as an award for completing his hand. Suppose, also, this player is the one to whom west position has been assigned. If this player has in his hand at least one season tile bearing the index symbol corresponding to his position (in the west position it will be the tile of either of the red or 4green groups having the numeral 3 thereon when numerals are used as the index symbols) he adds to his score, in addition to the value of each season tile an additional number as score bearing a particular relation to that already computed, as for instance, a multiple of the scoresuch as a double, but if he has no seasons in his hand he does not add such an additional score. On the other hand, if he has a season or group of seasons in his hand which corresponds to other playing positions, he adds to his score only the value assigned to the particular season tile or group of tiles without regard to the remainder of his score.

Each of the other players then pays the west, i. e., the winner, the ent-ire value of his score, without regard to the value of his own hand, each of the other three players paying each one that has a larger score the difference between their scores.

Giving a particular instance of scoring, and supposing, by way of example, that the hand of the west position contains three el of bamboo, three 6 of characters a sequence of 6, 7 and 8 of dots, and a pair of 3 of characters and that the hand contains also a season flower of one of the two groups which bears the symbol 3 which corresponds to the west position.

Following a scoring standard, the west counts two for the three of a. kind of bamboo and adds 2 for the 3 of a kind of characters andlfor the value of the seasonf making a total score of 8 inasmuch as nothing is added for the two sequences of dots or for the pair of characters."1 Presuming this hand to be the winning hand the west adds 20 for the winning which makes a total score to this point of Q8. The west then doubles the score because of the presence of the 3 of seasons in the west hand because of the assignment of this season to this playing position giving west, under these circumstances, a total score of 56.V

Presuming now that the west has the same hand as above with the exception of the 3 of seasons and that in its place the west hand contains the t of seasons of one of the groups the person of this season tile does not double the score, but simply adds to the score the value of the tile itself when contained in the hand of a position to which it is not assigned this score being in this example 4. Therefore, when this condition exists the score, instead of being 56, will be 28.

If desired, the seasons may not be scored in the manner described above, but may be played and scored in the same manner as the dragons When used in this manner the indices on the seasons tiles are used as game indicators only since the seasons are not assigned to particular playing positions. In using the seasons in this manner, if a player should obtain 3 (or 4). of the seasons oli' the saine color he would tota-l score bearing a particular relation to that score as, tor instance, a double. Thus,

if the value 4 be assignedto a set of 3 seasons he would be entitled to score 4 lor the set or' lseasons and then double the score of his entire hand.

Other Vvariations of scoring may be introduced, it' desired, my invention not being limited to thev particular methods referred to above.

`What I claim is:

l. In a game adapted to be played by a number of persons to whom are assigned delinite playing positions, a plurality of distinct groups ot tiles, the tiles of each group forming a continuous series and having means-thereon 'for indicating the position of each tile in the series, and at least two Vgroups of special tiles, each tile of each group of special tiles being assigned in play to a certain playing position and having an index thereon denoting the particular position to which the tile is assigned, each tile of one group `of special tiles having a tile in the other group of special tiles corresponding `thereto by index but otherwise distinguishable therefrom.

2. In a game adapted to be played by a number of persons to whom are assigned deiinite playing positions, a plurality of distinct groups of tiles, the tiles of each group Jforming a continuous seriesV and having means thereon for indicating the position of each -tile 1n the series, and at least two groups of special tiles, each tile of each group of special tiles being assigned 1n play to a certain playingpositlon and having an -index' 'thereon denoting the particular position'to which the tile is assigned, each tile of one group or" special tiles having a tile in the other group of special tiles corresponding thereto by index but distinguishable therefrom bya difference in color.

3.'In a game a lpl-uralityfo'f groups oi tiles, each group being sequentially numbered from-one to nine,`and each'group being unrelated to the other, a plurality of groups of non-numbered tiles, each group being unrelated to the other, a plurality of groups of tiles, each group being unrelated to the other and each tile of each group having an index identical with the other tiles of the samegroup, and a group vof special tiles having progressive numerical indicia thereon.

4. In a game a plurality or groups of tiles, each group being sequentially numbered from one lto nine, and each group beingv unrelated to the other, a plurality of groups of non-numbered tiles, each group being unrelated to the other, a plurality of groups of' tiles, each group being unrelated to the other and each tile of each groupl having an index identical with the vother tiles of the same group, and 'two ygroups ofspecial' tiles distinguishable but related to each other, each group having progressive indicia thereon and each group having one tile corresponding by its index to a tile of the other group.

5. In a game, a group of'bamboo tiles,

a Grou) or' dots tiles a O'rou of char acters tiles, each of said groups being unrelated to the other and the tiles o-each group being sequentially numberedv from one to nine, three groups of dragons tiles, four groups of winds tiles each group consist-ing of four tilesand `each having the designation of the' particular wind thereon, and two groups of seasons tiles each group having progressive indicia thereon and each grouphaving one tile corresponding by its index to a tlein the other group.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specilication this 11th day ofc December, 1923.

'JOSEPH PARK BABcocx 

